Cloth measuring and cutting device



(No Model.) 2 Sheets-Sheet 1.

W. B. HOOD. CLOTH MEASURING AND CUTTING DEVIGE. No. 601,964. Patented Apr. 5,1898.

I I K J llll 3/ Q i i 2 Nam/r0 WITNESSES.

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(No Model.) 2' Sheets-Sheet 2.

W. B. HOOD. CLOTH MEASURING AND GUTTING DEVICE. No. 601,964. Patented Apr. 5,1898.

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WILLIAM B. HOOD, OF WAOO, TEXAS.

CLOTH MEASURING AND CUTTING DEVICE.

SPECIFICATION forming part of Letters Patent No. 601,964, dated April 5, 1898. Application filed June 29, 1897- Serial No. 642,837. (No model.)

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, WILLIAM B. H001), of Waco, in the county of McLennan and State of Texas, have invented a new and Improved Oloth-Measurin g Device, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description. My invention relates to an improvement in devices by which the measuring and cutting of cloth may be facilitated.

The invention comprises a support upon which a bolt or roll of cloth may be pivoted and two spaced bars by which the measuring is accomplished as the roll is unwound.

The invention also comprises certain means by which the cloth may be clamped close to the first one of these spaced bars and then cut by a movable knife mounted in one of the clamping-bars.

The invention consists in the construction and combination of the various parts, as will be hereinafter described, and pointed out in the appended claims.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views.

Figure l is a front elevation of the device. Fig. 2 is a plan View thereof. Fig. 3 is a cross-sectional elevation. Fig. etis an end elevation of the up'per'part of the supportingbars. of the supporting-bars, showing the manner of clamping the rod which'carries the upper clamping-bar. Fig. 6 is a top plan View. of the slide forming the catch forlocking the clamping-bar down, andFig. 7 is a longitudinal section through the clamping-bar at one end.

The device comprises a base A, formed in any suitable shape and having the vertical supporting-bars A attached thereto. These bars are suitably braced to'render them rigid,

the braces a upon the forward side being also provided with a portion of a measuring-scale.

The supporting-bars A at each side of the machine are connected bya bar B, which is notched at b on its under side and is provided with a sliding block E, to which is attached a depending arm E, which has at its lower end a socket e for the reception of one of the journals of the bolt or roll carrying the cloth to be measured and cut. The block Fig. 5 is a cross-section through one E is provided with a spring-catch f, adapted to engage the block with the notches 1). One of the supporting-posts A is provided with a socket e, adapted to receive the other journal of the bolt or roll carrying the cloth to be measured and cut.

Cloth is'usually put up in rolls or bolts, which are wound upon a central board. To enable them to be journaled in my device, I have provided spring-clamps, which slip over the ends of these boards and are provided with journals. These clamps are clearly shown in Fig. 1 and consist of two springplates e, one of which passes upon each side of the board and clamps the same securely. At the ends where the clamps are joined they are provided with projecting journals adapted to enter the sockets e. The block E, from which one of the sockets e is supported, being movable upon the barB, any length of bolt may be supported therein.

Above the .barB is a cross-bar O, which has an edge 0 which acts as one of the measuring-bars. Another'bar a, extending across the forward side of the base, is so placed as to be just one yard from the edge 0 of the upper bar O.

. The cloth bolt or roll, after being mounted in its journals,.is carried over the roller I-I, journaled in the posts A, and then over the cross-bar. O and its measuring edge 0 and is then drawn down until its end meets the cross-bar a. This gives exactly one. yard. The lower end of the cloth, being held between the thumb and fingers, is then raised to the bar O and a fold of the cloth is caught between the thumb and fingers. This fold is then brought down until it is even with the bar a. In this way as many yards as desired may be measured off.

The supporting-posts A have their front surface'an'd the front surface of the braces a laid out as a scale, showing divisions of a yard. In the drawings I have shown the yard as divided into twelve parts. When in measuring cloth the last yard has beenreached,

the fingers, instead of being brought down to the bar a, are brought to a point a little short of thisas, for instance, to the point marked ll on the scale-and stopped. This point should be a distance from the bar 0 as much less than a yard-as the distance from the bar C to the slot J, which is formed in the upper surface of the cross-bar O. This is to allow for the amount of cloth lying between the cross-bar O and the point where it will be cut by the knife L.

A knife L, which is shown as of a triangular shape, is mounted upon a block sliding within a slot L in the bar D, supported above the cross-bar O by means of the link d, which 1 is connected to a slide d, mounted in a slot formed in the supporting-posts A. The slide d is supported by springs cl. The cross-bar D is guided by passing over the upper extension D of the supporting-post A. This upward extension may be formed as a part of the post or as a separate bar attached thereto. It is provided with a notch D adapted tobe engaged by a slide D when the cross-bar D has been pressed down. The slide D embraces the upper end of the bar D and isheld against the same by a spring D When the cloth has been put in place for measuring, the bar D is pressed downward until it rests lightly upon the cloth.

The upper surface of the cross-bar O is preferably provided with an elastic cushion I. The bar D, resting upon this cushion and the cloth, will furnish sufficient tension to prevent the cloth from being drawn out farther than desired. Then a sufficient amount of cloth has been drawn out, the knife L (which at the beginning has been drawn slightly to one side) is then moved across the cloth, cutting the same squarely. The slide d is held down by the engagement of a pin 0 with one side thereof, and the bar D is perforated. to receive the end of the pin 0. The

pin 0 isrecurved at its inner end and engages the side of the bar opposite that upon which the head of the pin is located. The head projects beyond the edge of the posts A and is provided with a spiral spring 0', adapted to hold the same in engagement with the slide. When it is desired to raise the cross-bar D, the pin 0 is pressed inward, thus freeing it from engagement with the slide cl. The springs (1. will then serve to raise the bar D.

In addition to the spring-clamp F, mounted on the block E, a like spring-clamp F is mounted on the cross-bar B. These clamps are of flat spring metal and are adapted to receive the cloth beneath them just before the cutting operation isperformed. The cloth may be readily inserted beneath these clamps and. held in place thereby while the cloth is being cut. The cross-bar D is-provided with two spring-pressed pins K, projecting from its under side and engaging the cross-bar 0 outside the cloth, thus preventing undue friction of the cloth between the two bars.

The device may be mounted upon a plate N, which is secured to a counter at any convenient point. These plates are provided with a central pin N, which is adapted. to enter a hole in the base of the device. One

or more of the cross-bars forming the base may also be provided with grooves adapted to receive the upwardly-projecting rim N formed upon the plate N. These plates N may be fastened to the counter at any point where it is desired to use the measuring device. The device may be placed upon any i one of the plates desired and readily removed from one and taken to another. The device maybe turned upon the plates as upon a pivot,

so'as to face in any direction desired.

Having thus described my invention, I I claim as new and desire tosecure by Letters Patent 1. A cloth-measuring device having two spaced bars for measuring the cloth, bars between which the cloth may be secured, one of said clamping-bars having a sinuous or waved slot therein which approaches and recedes from the cloth, a block slidable in said slot, and a knife attached to said block and adapted to engage the. cloth where secured between the bars, whereby a vertically-reciprocating movement is given to. the knife durin g its horizontal traverse, substantially as described.

2. A cloth-measuring device, having two spaced clamping-bars for measuring the cloth, bars between which the cloth may be secured, an elastic cushion between the bars, one of said bars having a sinuous or Waving slot 1 therein which approaches. and recedes from Q the cloth, ablock slidable in said slot, and a j knife attached to said block and projecting across the space occupied by the cloth,.whereby a vertically reciprocating movement is given to the knife during its horizontal traverse, substantially as described.

3. A cloth-measuring device, comprising a base, supporting-posts mounted thereon, a 1* bar connecting said posts, a depending arm 5 adjustable on said bar, pivots for the bolt or 1 roll of cloth, one on said depending arm and the other on the supporting-posts, two spaced 5 bars over which the cloth. is drawn for measi uring, aclamp adjacent to one of said spaced bars having a sinuous orwaving knife-guide, and a knife movable on said clamp for cutting the cloth, whereby a vertically-reciprocating movement is given to the knife during its horizontal traverse, substantially as de- 5 scribed.

4. A cloth-measuring device, comprising a j supporting-frame, a cross-bar, an arm adj ustable on said cross-bars, pivots for the cloth bolt, one upon said adjustable arm, spaced bars for measuring the cloth, one of them being provided with a waving or sinuousknifeguide, asliding knife mounted: onsaid guides, and spring clamping-fingers adapted to hold the measured cloth while being cut, substantially as described.

5. A cloth-measuring device having two clamping-bars between Whichthecloth passes and by which it may be held,. a scale using said bars as a base of measurement, both of said bars having a straight slot extending laterally the cloth and in line with each other,

and one of said bars having a slot extending substantially at right angles to the other and connecting therewith, said slot approaching and receding from the clamping-surface in a Waving or sinuous manner and a knife-blade. Within the straight slots having a guide sliding in the Waving slot whereby a vertical re-' ciprocating movement is given to the knife.

duringits horizontal traverse.

WILLIAM B. HOOD. r: Witnesses:

v SAM B. THOMAS, J;-W. CUMINGS. 

